Spell your way to victory against the clock,
collecting virtual treasure along the way.
Spelling Dragon and the Knights of Mount
Brainier is a simple spelling program that also includes the Spanish version
of each word. The words are read aloud, then you must drag the letters to their
proper placement in the letter blanks. The Spanish version of the word is
displayed at the top.
Options include the ability to turn off the music, choose difficulty levels
and to play in either English or Spanish. Unfortunately, the options do not
include typing the letters; instead, you must drag the letters, which is slower.
Ohio Distinctive is a well-known publisher of affordable school educational
software. Most of their programs are fairly simple, consisting of question and
answer sessions, sometimes interspersed with an easy arcade game. The big plus
for schools here is the very low price range ($5-$10) and the low system
requirements. The quality of their products vary from mediocre to very good.
Spelling Dragon isn’t one of their better efforts and suffers from a few
problems, the biggest of which is the fact that the voice reading the spelling
words is significantly lower in volume than the rest of the program, making it
extremely difficult to understand many of the words. Also, there’s only one type
of spelling activity offered, which limits the playability somewhat.
Install: Easy
No installation as such is necessary.
Gameplay: 6
Extremely limited gameplay.
Graphics: 6
Decent graphics, but not much animation.
Sound: 7
Cute music, but nothing to get excited about.
Difficulty: 7
There are several difficulty levels to choose from, making it as challenging
as desired. The interface is easy to navigate.
Concept: 6
Just a very simple spelling program.
Overall: 6
With so many other spelling programs on the market that offer more
activities, plus more options (such as spelling editors), it’s hard to recommend
this program.
